


The Boy With the Sad Eyes

by peppermage



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Emotional Hurt, Family Issues, Fluff, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Redemption, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25615732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermage/pseuds/peppermage
Summary: Hunter x Hunter short story
Relationships: Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Kudos: 16





	1. Dead-Eyes is Here

Usually when someone you hate approaches you, you try to walk the other way. This is what happened when Killua Zoldyck was surprisingly approached by his eldest brother.

Well technically he wasn’t approached by Illumi, but trailed by him. Currently, Killua was accompanied by his main friend group: Gon had decided to spend a few days with Killua after hanging out in Greed Island, Kurapika was the one who gathered them all together, and Leorio just wanted to tag along after he graduated. Almost right away, Killua noticed that someone was following him.  _ This person is good _ , Killua thought as he led the other three through an alleyway,  _ but this will bring them out _ . 

Behind the boy prodigy, the tall built man exchanged a curious look with the shorter blonde who had twinkling chains on his right hand. It was impossible to read Killua’s thoughts, but one of the party members knew that the white-haired boy was thinking.

Gon had known Killua for a long time now, or at least it felt like a long time. He had taught Gon about how to find out if someone was following him. But even Gon couldn’t sense the trailing presence behind them. After all, no one deceives like a professional.

Killua looked to his right to see a small alleyway between two slanted tan buildings and started walking towards the decrepit space. It smelled bad, like something had burned for far too long and the baker threw it out into the street instead of in a bag or an enclosed space. 

Killua kept sauntering down the alleyway, now positive that someone was following him. He abruptly turned around, Gon moving with him. He saw nothing except for an anxious looking Leorio and a confused Kurapika. He sighed and turned around, this time facing a tall silhouette with long black hair and two empty eyes.

“Hello, Kil,” Illumi said, the corners of his lips attempting to curl into a smile. 

After the events of what happened with his sister Alluka, Killua hated his brother with a passion. (Right at that moment, Alluka was with Mr. Wing and Zushi.) He felt his hands clenching at his sides.

“Looks like he ate something bad,” Leorio whispered to Kurapika, who laughed for the first time in a while. 

Illumi said nothing as he waited for Killua to respond.

“I don’t have any time for this. Please move out of my way,” Killua spat, moving around his brother, who stood rooted to the ground. 

Slowly, each of the rest of the group followed. Soon, only Gon remained facing Illumi. He looked at Illumi in full:

The tall man was dressed in normal clothing, most likely to blend in. (Not that he could blend in that much.) Gon stared into Illumi’s eyes; they were usually emotionless and dark, but they seemed to be hopeful. The boy took a deep inhale, focusing on his intuition. He sensed nothing bad with Illumi; he seemed to have good intentions. 

“Hey, let’s go,” Killua said, turning back to see Gon, “Leave him here to rot among the rats.”

Gon’s brain seemed to yell at him to walk away from Illumi, but his heart kept him rooted into place. “Killua! Let’s give him a chance,” Gon heard himself say. He looked confused for a second and then realized that trusting Illumi was a good decision.

“Are you insane?” Kurapika cut in. Leorio put a hand on the blonde’s shoulder in agreement. He realized this and quickly lowered his hand. 

“Gon, I trust your instincts but it’s better to leave him alone. He’s dangerous,” Leorio said.

Illumi stood in silence, saying nothing as he assessed the situation. He then turned toward his brother and stared as Killua tilted his head. The older flinched when Killua suddenly asked, “Why are you here?”

Illumi considered his answer wisely. His brother would take anything he said with a grain of salt, so he decided to tell the truth: “I want to be the big brother you always deserved.”

Killua stood in silence for a few seconds. “What?” he asked. 

The leader of the group’s current mission, the blonde with piercing eyes, walked up to Illumi and delicately held out his hand. “You can only join us if you promise to keep quiet about what we are trying to do,” Kurapika said, his chains moving out from his sleeve, “If you tell someone, this judgement chain will stab your heart and instantly kill you, got it?”

“Of course,” Illumi tutted.

“We’re trying to find the last set of Kurta eyes that are rumored to be in Meteor City,” Killua said, flicking a hand at Illumi, “Are you in?”

“Yes,” Illumi said emotionlessly, “I am. And I can offer my help. I know someone who knows where to find the place that you wish to find.”

“You do?” Gon shouted, “Can you show us?”

“Sure,” Illumi said back, his face still slack.

“Wait a second… If you know where Meteor City is, then why won’t you show us?” Leorio asked.

“I was blindfolded,” Illumi replied.

“Whoever helped you must’ve been a smart guy,” Leorio muttered.

“All for going to the man?” Kurapika asked.

All of them raised their hands except for Illumi, who was still exempt from group voting. 

“Well then, show the way, brother,” Killua said.


	2. Damn, Someone Died

When they arrived at the village, they immediately bought a room at a nearby inn. This village was fairly clean, despite its obvious old age. 

“Illumi and me can go in first,” Killua said, standing up from his spot under a tree, “More than two people will look suspicious to passing people.

“No! I can go with Illumi!” Gon said, his face cheerful. In reality, Gon just wanted to make sure that Illumi was serious with his newfound dedication to being a good sibling.

“Okay,” Killua said, “Leorio and Kurapika can get food, I’ll stay here and be backup. Gon, go with Illumi.”

The five then nodded and then headed off in their separate ways. 

Gon and Illumi walked towards the house that Illumi had mentioned. The streets of the village were empty except for a few citizens, aiding the tension between the two. All of a sudden, Illumi’s phone rang and he picked it up out of his pocket.

“One second,” he told Gon as he picked it up: “Yeah. Sure. Twelve million jenny? Yup. Got it.”

As soon as Illumi ended the call, Gon impulsively confronted him about it. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing, just a job.”

Gon stayed quiet for a second, his fists clenched at his side. He didn’t usually show anger and liked to stay positive, but he didn’t like the idea of killing people for money. “Why would you kill someone and be okay with it?”

Illumi looked at the little boy in curiosity, his eyes partly giving away his real feeling: sadness. He quickly regained his emotionless glare and said, “It is all I have known.”

“But that doesn’t account for anything! That doesn’t even matter! You should still feel something when you hear if someone died!” Gon argued.

Illumi continued to calmly walk next to him, his eyes still blank. “We’re here.”

Gon looked up at the little house in the middle of the village and knocked slowly on the door.  There was no answer.

The two continued to wait outside, waiting for a response. After about two minutes, Illumi decided to open the door himself.

It swung open with a slight creak to a terrible sight. The man they were looking for was hunched over, blood slowly streaming from a caked cut on his neck. His eyes were gone, the sockets empty. His clothes hung like wings from the sides of his back and his head was tilted up as if he was in prayer.

“We should call your friends,” Illumi sighed, tilting his head in consideration of the body. 

***

“He was WHAT?” Leorio shouted into the phone, his ears glowing red with anger.

“He’s dead,” Gon said, his voice sad.

“Tell him I’m going to arrive there in two minutes,” Kurapika instructed as he darted out of the bakery he and Leorio visited.

“I’ll call Killua and have him come he-“

Gon’s voice cut out and Leorio turned a pale shade of white. “GON! GON!” he shouted, his mind immediately jumping to a conclusion. Tears threatened to fall down his face as he continued to scream into the phone.

“Oh! Leorio’s on the phone?” a voice asked on the other end.

“KILLUA TELL GON THAT HE GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK,” Leorio screamed into the phone as he chased after Kurapika.

“I will… fine… are you here yet? The body’s starting to decompose,” Killua complained.

“I’M GOING AS FAST AS I CAN,” Leorio screeched as he ran out into the street and swung around, attempting to locate Kurapika. 

Kurapika was already standing in the doorway of the man’s house with one arm over his nose. Leorio walked towards him and winced after seeing the body.

No amount of medical school could have prepared him for that.

Leorio walked in and started to talk to Gon and Killua, trying to get a feel about what could have possibly happened. Kurapika stood hunched over the body, his arm perched above the man’s head in an honorary way.

“I wonder who could have done such a thing,” Leorio tutted, now squatting in front of the man’s neck. 

“Isn’t it obvious? Who else wouldn’t want us finding information on the Phantom Troupe? The Phantom Troupe itself,” Kurapika spat, his eyes growing red.

“Woah Kurapika!” Leorio shouted, well aware of the rules Kurapika had in place for when his eyes grew red. He continued to attempt to comfort Kurapika while Gon and Killua discussed how to move forward.

All of a sudden, Kurapika broke away from Leorio’s comforting and darted out the door.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Leorio shouted.

“Finding actual answers to my questions!” Kurapika responded as he slammed the door shut.

Leorio sighed, a bead of sweat falling down the side of his head. He had not expected Kurapika to leave the house so unexpectedly.

Later that night, the blonde had come back to their rented inn with blood on his hands, despite the several talks that he and Leorio had before about staying on the down low. Leorio was now carrying Kurapika in his arms. He had just bandaged any cuts that he could find and was now carrying Kurapika to bed. 

Leorio moved like an ape. He wasn’t the most graceful person by any means, but when he was with Kurapika it was different. Leorio felt lighter around him and he couldn’t explain why. 

He had found Kurapika laying out in the rain right outside of the inn door, blood caked on his stomach. Slightly angry, Leorio had yelled at the unconscious Kurapika before carrying him into the small space. Leorio’s freshly washed tank top was now soaked through with rain water, but he didn’t care. As long as Kurapika was alright, he thought as he had carried the small body to the kitchen table. There he stripped Kurapika’s shirt off and assessed the wounds. He stared at the cut and realized that it was because of a shard of glass. 

Leorio took off his t-shirt and wrapped it around Kurapika like a blanket while he opened his suitcase. There had to be something in there to help him.

Before he found Kurapika, he had yelled at Gon and Killua to sleep and then fixed up a spare room for their unexpected fifth member. Leorio calmly treated Kurapika’s wounds and then carried him to the room they shared, putting Kurapika on the bed. 

Leorio watched the blonde breathe, his stomach slowly moving up and down. He really looked like an angel when he slept.  “You really need to be more careful, Kurapika,” he murmured at Kurapika’s unconscious, bandaged form.

Kurapika didn’t respond. Leorio smiled sadly and then settled into his spot on the floor and instantly fell asleep.

In another room, Illumi laid pencil-straight on the bed, his eyes staring at the ceiling. He had just overheard the little conversation between the doctor and the chain user, and felt something.

Longing. 


End file.
